Sea Change in the White House May Change for the Good Our Atmosphere and Seas

It was awhile coming but finally, post-insurrection, Joe Biden has parked himself in the Oval Office for the next four years (let him stay healthy). Scientists, and laypeople trying to fight climate change, the pandemic, and rising carbon emissions, appear to have a champion in the White House.

It means a lot to the United States and the world because the absence of America from the major organizations and forums addressing these issues has meant four years in which the existential threat of anthropogenic climate change has only been addressed in a limited fashion. With the United States, the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter (China is number one), progress on the climate file was severely impaired.

Here in Canada, our federal government finally started to get serious about carbon emissions applying an accelerating levy that will increase the cost to $170 CDN per ton by 2030. This market mechanism is seen as a means to decrease demand for carbon-intensive products and services, while at the same time encourage the development of low-carbon alternatives and technologies. As much as this is a welcome development, Canada’s contribution to global carbon emissions amounts to less than 2% of the total. On the other hand, the U.S. produces 14% and China 28%. So it would be helpful if the latter two were to begin putting a significant price on carbon pollution as well. Alas, that’s not the case in the U.S. even under the new administration. And China’s emissions continue to grow with that country expecting a peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality no earlier than 2060.

Joe Biden is playing catchup on the climate file. On January 27th he issued an executive order to spur American industry and the American people to tackle the climate crisis. In it, he announced both domestic and international action.

Here is a quick summary:

1. The U.S. will set a target to achieve net-zero emissions for the economy by no later than 2050.
2. The U.S. will take into consideration climate change in addressing foreign policy and national security and will appoint a key cabinet member and task force with responsibilities specifically focused on climate-related challenges and solutions.
3. The U.S. will rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement signed in 2015 and will host climate and energy summits with other countries in participation (think G7 and G20), before the upcoming Climate Change Conference planned for this coming fall in Glasgow, Scotland.
4. The federal government will partner with states, cities, counties, territories, and Native Americans on climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives.
5. The U.S. will develop a climate finance plan to assist the Developing World in efforts to reduce emissions, protect ecosystems, and build mitigation and adaptation projects, providing capital and climate-aligned investments through international financial instruments and organizations.
6. U.S. military and security organizations, as well as NASA, will develop national and international strategies to address climate change risks to the Arctic, the ocean, inland waters, and the land.
7. The U.S. will set a target of a carbon-pollution free electricity sector by 2035 with financial programs and federal purchasing guidelines to accelerate commercial advancements in industrial capacity, materials, and products to achieve the aforementioned goal.
8. The U.S. will halt fossil fuel exploration and development as well as federal subsidies into the industry beginning with fiscal year 2022. The federal government will seek to end harmful emissions from fossil fuel sites specifically: methane leaks, and fracking solutions cleanup.
9. The U.S. will empower American workers in construction, manufacturing, engineering, and other fields to build and renew a sustainable national infrastructure. Federal support for a Civilian Climate Corps will help farmers, ranchers, forest landowners, fishers, coastal communities, and others to protect biodiversity, sequester carbon, and restore ecosystems to conserve 30% of the country’s lands and waters by 2030.
10. The U.S. federal government will seek environmental justice through the development of programs, policies, and activities to address the disproportionately high and adverse human health, environmental, climate-related, and other cumulative impacts on disadvantaged communities, as well as the accompanying economic challenges of such impacts.